of the nature of things-第28节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


To　drink；　and　water　ne'er　is　granted　him
Wherewith　to　quench　the　heat　within　his　members；
But　after　idols　of　the　liquids　strives
And　toils　in　vain；　and　thirsts　even　whilst　he　gulps
In　middle　of　the　torrent；　thus　in　love
Venus　deludes　with　idol…images
The　lovers。　Nor　they　cannot　sate　their　lust
By　merely　gazing　on　the　bodies；　nor
They　cannot　with　their　palms　and　fingers　rub
Aught　from　each　tender　limb；　the　while　they　stray
Uncertain　over　all　the　body。　Then；
At　last；　with　members　intertwined；　when　they
Enjoy　the　flower　of　their　age；　when　now
Their　bodies　have　sweet　presage　of　keen　joys；
And　Venus　is　about　to　sow　the　fields
Of　woman；　greedily　their　frames　they　lock；
And　mingle　the　slaver　of　their　mouths；　and　breathe
Into　each　other；　pressing　teeth　on　mouths…
Yet　to　no　purpose；　since　they're　powerless
To　rub　off　aught；　or　penetrate　and　pass
With　body　entire　into　body…　for　oft
They　seem　to　strive　and　struggle　thus　to　do；
So　eagerly　they　cling　in　Venus'　bonds；
Whilst　melt　away　their　members；　overcome
By　violence　of　delight。　But　when　at　last
Lust；　gathered　in　the　thews；　hath　spent　itself；
There　come　a　brief　pause　in　the　raging　heat…
But　then　a　madness　just　the　same　returns
And　that　old　fury　visits　them　again；
When　once　again　they　seek　and　crave　to　reach
They　know　not　what；　all　powerless　to　find
The　artifice　to　subjugate　the　bane。
In　such　uncertain　state　they　waste　away
With　unseen　wound。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　To　which　be　added　too；
They　squander　powers　and　with　the　travail　wane；
Be　added　too；　they　spend　their　futile　years
Under　another's　beck　and　call；　their　duties
Neglected　languish　and　their　honest　name
Reeleth　sick；　sick；　and　meantime　their　estates
Are　lost　in　Babylonian　tapestries；
And　unguents　and　dainty　Sicyonian　shoes
Laugh　on　her　feet；　and　（as　ye　may　be　sure）
Big　emeralds　of　green　light　are　set　in　gold；
And　rich　sea…purple　dress　by　constant　wear
Grows　shabby　and　all　soaked　with　Venus'　sweat；
And　the　well…earned　ancestral　property
Becometh　head…bands；　coifs；　and　many　a　time
The　cloaks；　or　garments　Alidensian
Or　of　the　Cean　isle。　And　banquets；　set
With　rarest　cloth　and　viands；　are　prepared…
And　games　of　chance；　and　many　a　drinking　cup；
And　unguents；　crowns　and　garlands。　All　in　vain；
Since　from　amid　the　well…spring　of　delights
Bubbles　some　drop　of　bitter　to　torment
Among　the　very　flowers…　when　haply　mind
Gnaws　into　self；　now　stricken　with　remorse
For　slothful　years　and　ruin　in　baudels；
Or　else　because　she's　left　him　all　in　doubt
By　launching　some　sly　word；　which　still　like　fire
Lives　wildly；　cleaving　to　his　eager　heart；
Or　else　because　he　thinks　she　darts　her　eyes
Too　much　about　and　gazes　at　another；…
And　in　her　face　sees　traces　of　a　laugh。
　　These　ills　are　found　in　prospering　love　and　true；
But　in　crossed　love　and　helpless　there　be　such
As　through　shut　eyelids　thou　canst　still　take　in…
Uncounted　ills；　so　that　'tis　better　far
To　watch　beforehand；　in　the　way　I've　shown；
And　guard　against　enticements。　For　to　shun
A　fall　into　the　hunting…snares　of　love
Is　not　so　hard；　as　to　get　out　again；
When　tangled　in　the　very　nets；　and　burst
The　stoutly…knotted　cords　of　Aphrodite。
Yet　even　when　there　enmeshed　with　tangled　feet；
Still　canst　thou　scape　the　danger…lest　indeed
Thou　standest　in　the　way　of　thine　own　good；
And　overlookest　first　all　blemishes
Of　mind　and　body　of　thy　much　preferred；
Desirable　dame。　For　so　men　do；
Eyeless　with　passion；　and　assign　to　them
Graces　not　theirs　in　fact。　And　thus　we　see
Creatures　in　many　a　wise　crooked　and　ugly
The　prosperous　sweethearts　in　a　high　esteem；
And　lovers　gird　each　other　and　advise
To　placate　Venus；　since　their　friends　are　smit
With　a　base　passion…　miserable　dupes
Who　seldom　mark　their　own　worst　bane　of　all。
The　black…skinned　girl　is　〃tawny　like　the　honey〃；
The　filthy　and　the　fetid's　〃negligee〃；
The　cat…eyed　she's　〃a　little　Pallas；〃　she；
The　sinewy　and　wizened's　〃a　gazelle〃；
The　pudgy　and　the　pigmy　is　〃piquant；
One　of　the　Graces　sure〃；　the　big　and　bulky
O　she's　〃an　Admiration；　imposante〃；
The　stuttering　and　tongue…tied　〃sweetly　lisps〃；
The　mute　girl's　〃modest〃；　and　the　garrulous；
The　spiteful　spit…fire；　is　〃a　sparkling　wit〃；
And　she　who　scarcely　lives　for　scrawniness
Becomes　〃a　slender　darling〃；　〃delicate〃
Is　she　who's　nearly　dead　of　coughing…fit；
The　pursy　female　with　protuberant　breasts
She　is　〃like　Ceres　when　the　goddess　gave
Young　Bacchus　suck〃；　the　pug…nosed　lady…love
〃A　Satyress；　a　feminine　Silenus〃；
The　blubber…lipped　is　〃all　one　luscious　kiss〃…
A　weary　while　it　were　to　tell　the　whole。
But　let　her　face　possess　what　charm　ye　will；
Let　Venus'　glory　rise　from　all　her　limbs；…
Forsooth　there　still　are　others；　and　forsooth
We　lived　before　without　her；　and　forsooth
She　does　the　same　things…　and　we　know　she　does…
All；　as　the　ugly　creature；　and　she　scents；
Yes　she；　her　wretched　self　with　vile　perfumes；
Whom　even　her　handmaids　flee　and　giggle　at
Behind　her　back。　But　he；　the　lover；　in　tears
Because　shut　out；　covers　her　threshold　o'er
Often　with　flowers　and　garlands；　and　anoints
Her　haughty　door…posts　with　the　marjoram；
And　prints；　poor　fellow；　kisses　on　the　doors…
Admitted　at　last；　if　haply　but　one　whiff
Got　to　him　on　approaching；　he　would　seek
Decent　excuses　to　go　out　forthwith；
And　his　lament；　long　pondered；　then　would　fall
Down　at　his　heels；　and　there　he'd　damn　himself
For　his　fatuity；　observing　how
He　had　assigned　to　that　same　lady　more…
Than　it　is　proper　to　concede　to　mortals。
And　these　our　Venuses　are　'ware　of　this。
Wherefore　the　more　are　they　at　pains　to　hide
All　the…behind…the…scenes　of　life　from　those
Whom　they　desire　to　keep　in　bonds　of　love…
In　vain；　since　ne'ertheless　thou　canst　by　thought
Drag　all　the　matter　forth　into　the　light
And　well　search　out　the　cause　of　all　these　smiles；
And　if　of　graceful　mind　she　be　and　kind；
Do　thou；　in　thy　turn；　overlook　the　same；
And　thus　allow　for　poor　mortality。
Nor　sighs　the　woman　always　with　feigned　love；
Who　links　her　body　round　man's　body　locked
And　holds　him　fast；　making　his　kisses　wet
With　lips　sucked　into　lips；　for　oft　she　acts
Even　from　desire；　and；　seeking　mutual　joys；
Incites　him　there　to　run　love's　race…course　through。
Nor　otherwise　can　cattle；　birds；　wild　beasts；
And　sheep　and　mares　submit　unto　the　males；
Except　that　their　own　nature　is　in　heat；
And　burns　abounding　and　with　gladness　takes
Once　more　the　Venus　of　the　mounting　males。
And　seest　thou　not　how　those　whom　mutual　pleasure
Hath　bound　are　tortured　in　their　common　bonds？
How　often　in　the　cross…roads　dogs　that　pant
To　get　apart　strain　eagerly　asunder
With　utmost　might？…　When　all　the　while　they're　fast
In　the　stout　links　of　Venus。　But　they'd　ne'er
So　pull；　except　they　knew　those　mutual　joys…
So　powerful　to　cast　them　unto　snares
And　hold　them　bound。　Wherefore　again；　again；
Even　as　I　say；　there　is　a　joint　delight。
　　And　when　perchance；　in　mingling　seed　with　his；
The　female　hath　o'erpowered　the　force　of　male
And　by　a　sudden　fling　hath　seized　it　fast；
Then　are　the　offspring；　more　from　mothers'　seed；
More　like　their　mothers；　as；　from　fathers'　seed；
They're　like　to　fathers。　But　whom　seest　to　be
Partakers　of　each　shape；　one　equal　blend
Of　parents'　features；　these　are　generate
From　fathers'　body　and　from　mothers'　blood；
When　mutual　and　harmonious　heat　hath　dashed
Together　seeds；　aroused　along　their　frames
By　Venus'　goads；　and　neither　of　the　twain
Mastereth　or　is　mastered。　Happens　too
That　sometimes　offspring　can　to　being　come
In　likeness　of　their　grandsires；　and　bring　back
Often　the　shapes　of　grandsires'　sires；　because
Their　parents　in　their　bodies　oft　retain
Concealed　many　primal　germs；　commixed
In　many　modes；　which；　starting　with　the　stock；
Sire　handeth　down　to　son；　himself　a　sire；
Whence　Venus　by　a　variable　chance
Engenders　shapes；　and　diversely　brings　back
Ancestral　features；　voices　too；　and　hair。
A　female　generation　rises　forth
From　seed　paternal；　and　from　mother's　body
Exist　created　males：　since　sex　proceeds
No　more　from　singleness　of　seed　than　faces
Or　bodies　or　limbs　of　ours：　for　every　birth
Is　from　a　twofold　seed；　and　what's　created
Hath；　of　that　parent　which　it　is　more　like；
More　than　its　equal　share；　as　thou　canst　mark；…
Whether　the　breed　be　male　or　female　stock。
　　Nor　do　the　powers　divine　grudge　any　man
The　fruits　of　his　seed…sowing；　so　that　never
He　be　called　〃father〃　by　sweet　children　his；
And　end　his　days　in　sterile　love　forever。
What　many　men　suppose；　and　gloomily
They　sprinkle　the　altars　with　abundant　blood；
And　make　the　high　platforms　odorous　with　burnt　gifts；
To　render　big　by　plenteous　seed　their　wives…
And　plague　in　vain　godheads　and　sacred　lots。
For　sterile　are　these　men　by　seed　too　thick；
Or　else　by　far　too　watery　and　thin。
Because　the　thin　is　powerless　to　cleave
Fast　to　the　proper　places；　straightaway
It　trickles　from　them；　and；　returned　again；
Retires　abortively。　And　then　since　seed
More　gross　and　solid　than　will　suit　is　spent
By　some　men；　either　it　flies　not　forth　amain
With　spurt　prolonged　enough；　or　else　it　fails
To　enter　suitably　the　proper　places；
Or；　having　entered；　the　seed　is　weakly　mixed
With　seed　of　the　woman：　harmonies　of　Venus
Are　seen　to　matter　vastly　here；　and　some
Impre